Major insomnia problem - any suggestions pls?

[jasperc163]

26 weeks pregnant and not sleeping much - I didn't before but it wasnt such a problem and i could always take a nytol or something to break the pattern if required. However its now much worse and I am sure is contributing to very poor state of my immune system atm (chest infections etc for 2 months now). No problem going to sleep but waking up sometime around 1-3am and normally taking up to 4hrs to get back to sleep. It not specifially related to discomfort or anything or stress, just a habit i think that my body has got into over last few months but now it is really taking its toll and I am constantly sick :-(

Has anyone got any suggestions at all? Getting desperate....

thanks alot

oops sorry just seen a thread on this a few lines down too. Will take a look....

I've had similar problems to you but I think I might have just got over it (touching wood a lot here). I used to take nytol every now and then. Generally i would wake up at 5am every day, then i would have cycles of 4am, 3am, 2am and sometimes midnight - then it would get back to normallish for a couple of weeks then start again. I found that the less sleep i got, the more anxious i got about it and the less i could sleep.

I went to docs recently who said they don't give out sleeping tablets for long term insomnia, but gave me a leaflet. She suggested that i just didn't need as much sleep as everyone else (after all, I've coped with what i called insomnia for 6 years). I've started going to bed at midnight and waking about 6, and it seems to be working better for me. At least i don't get the waking hours during the night which felt like wasted time (although i did many a pile of ironing!).

Doc also said don't take nytol as you get to rely on it - you may need to take this as an opportunity to wean yourself off.

I'd go to the docs and see what they say. Your reasons might be completely different to mine - but mine started when yours did - when i was pregnant with ds1. I think my body just went into overdrive ready for looking after him.

Good luck - I know lack of sleep can make you feel really miserable so i hope you get some good advice and get it cracked.

Hi there,

I just saw this and wanted to add a suggestion that really helped me. I suffered from very severe insomnia throughout the later stages of my pregnancy without any sleep on a couple of nights. My doctor recomended the occasional use of piriton which is an antihistermine with drousey properties (mothers do take it for allergies in pregnancy). I took it very occasionaly, at a very low dose (about 4 times I think) over the second and third trimester but it did help break my poor sleep. My DD is a happy healthy seven month old. I still use piriton on the occasional bad night.

For me, using Piriton helped break the stress I was suffering from insomnia which in my case I felt was as bad for the baby as the medication.

Why not ask your doctor what he / she thinks?

Good night.

NS XXX

Nope, nothing to suggest I'm afraid, I had exactly the same when I was pregnant. I could manage to sleep from 10-1am, sometimes til 3am but after that I would be wide awake, it's a bugger isn't it.

Thanks all - wouldnt be such a problem if I wasnt so ill - I am just thinking it is probably a major factor in me not getting better?

Anyone tried reflexology for insomnia? Just found a local lady who specialises in pregnancy etc and lists it as helping sleep problems and respiratory problems.

I tried reflexology to bring on labour, it didn't work but it was a lovely foot massage!

thanks lollipopmother. The only reflexology i have ever had was to bring on labour too - will never know if it was a coincidence or not as went into labour next morning. I have to say if it was pleasant then maybe it wasnt done right as it hurt like hell when the uterus point was stimulated!

I tried reflexology, accupuncture, massage, warm baths, milk.... and it was piriton that kept me sane! don't need to tell you that you need your sleep now as once baby arrives ....